


Prologue: Reformation

by akhos_script



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Pre-Canon, Probably ooc, i wish we knew more about them prior to the events of the game, idk why i tend to love side characters the most, their thoughts as they are being transferred from tantal to indol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25781452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akhos_script/pseuds/akhos_script
Summary: The small room on the Indoline ship slowly closes in on the duo. Akhos and Patroka reflect on the moments leading up to this moment: from their drivers awakening them for the first time, to the various snippets of their old lives, to their irreversible choice.
Kudos: 6





	Prologue: Reformation

**Author's Note:**

> because Akhos and Patroka deserve a better background story...

Why was it that they both agreed to throw away their identity as blades to become flesh eaters? No normal blade would seek such a taboo existence, unless something tied them to this world. He was free to make his own choices. When he was first awakened, he was just a blade. His existence depended on the driver that resonated with him. His driver repeatedly told Akhos that he was not an extension of him; Akhos was his own person.

Sometimes, Akhos regretted telling his driver about how jealous he was of humans. Their fiery lives, packed with some form of passion, and most importantly, their ability to create their own paths. Maybe if that moment never happened, he would not be in this Indoline ship. This was his downfall. Akhos wanted to live like a human; he wanted to experience what the world prohibited blades from possessing.

 _Maybe I was afraid to see the curtain fall so soon after our awakenings_ , reasoned Akhos. _We were supposed to follow the script my driver wrote us._ Or was it… _Was this the true script according to the Architect?_ Had his driver tried to fight against what Indol ~~the Architect~~ wanted and this was his punishment? No matter how many times Akhos analyzed the situation, he did not understand why Indol was forcibly stealing core crystals from drivers. After all, were they not the same people who gave his core crystal to his former driver?

For a fleeting moment, Akhos smiled fondly. His driver introduced him to the beauty of performing arts. The lights, the red curtains slowly ascending high above, the passion of the actors, and most importantly, the writing – it filled him with wonder and excitement. The ability to create such engaging stories must be powerful. _Maybe this is how the Architect feels when he watches us from the World Tree,_ mused Akhos. Never would he have expected the talents humans possessing the same power as the Architect. He would never forget the first time he and his driver bought tickets to watch a play. At that moment, his driver gave Akhos a sense of purpose. His driver pushed for Akhos to find something – anything – that proved he also could possess such talents. Oh, Akhos could do so much more…

His driver found amusement in Akhos’ speechlessness. _“Oh, what’s this I see? Looks like someone found a new passion for theatre. I never guessed Akhos would be a theatre fanatic of all things! We now share a common interest – how amazing is that!”_ Akhos felt his cheeks burn bright, hot enough to melt the ice in the lower regions of Tantal ~~that would be bad if this happened when they went out hunting again~~. He observed humans’ skins turn red when embarrassed. Their faces could even pale when frightened. Was he experiencing the same thing? Akhos’ glasses fogged up ~~(is that normal?)~~ , he did not see whatever expression his driver displayed. In the few months after resonating with his driver, he never felt any strong emotions nor reactions to anything. Whatever this new sensation was, Akhos wanted to feel it again.

Slowly, grief twisted into rage. If only Akhos had a pen right now, he would rewrite the script for the cycle of life. He would be the one to assign new roles to every soul in Alrest, the Architect included. Those who maintained this wretched hierarchy needed to fall into the pits of the audience. Indoline scum (especially those abominations) had no place in his plays. They would never have an important role in the world he wanted to create. Were they even worth being called side characters? No, those undeserving monsters had no place existing in Alrest. He wanted to capture the raw emotions that every race would have when this current cycle ended. It would be magnificent. The anger burning in their eyes, the tears flooding the streets, the fear consuming their hearts – he wanted to see it all. He imagined the chorus gathering the streets, their footsteps creating a chaotic tempo, their voices crying out in agony. Wouldn’t that be such a splendid _finale_?

Silence. He waited for someone, anyone to stop him from writing such blasphemous words. He paused again, cautiously waiting someone ~~his driver~~ to interrupt him. He was his own person, and he had free will. That’s right, that was his driver’s final request… All he heard was the quiet hums of the Indol ship in the background. In that moment, he chose his path and he would never turn back. The prologue was complete. Now, he can move onto the first act (only if they found a way escape this ship).

Patroka patted the floor next to here, wishing Akhos to sit down next to her. Was it the annoying sounds of footsteps pacing or was it the overwhelming heat of his anger replacing the chilled air of this room that bothered her the most? Once he sat down, she would be able to breathe again. She wasn’t used to this new body yet.

She would never tell Akhos how terrified she was to share a bond together, to act like siblings, to be human. After their transformation into Flesh Eaters, Akhos declared them to be siblings. Patroka witnessed the last moments of her driver’s life. How reckless she acted in order to save her brother. Bonds seemed more like a curse than a gift. Her driver was naïve putting their bond as siblings above her own life. To create such bonds would only lead to grief. Nothing more, nothing less. _How disgusting_.

Even in her driver’s last moments, her driver told her to live on for them. Patroka watched tears stream down her driver’s eyes as she begged for forgiveness – the overwhelming guilt that Akhos’ and Patroka’s “life” was cut short by their mistakes. _It’s okay_ , her driver whispered, _eating a part of us will make you guys stronger. You no longer need us or anyone to exist_. ~~You belong to no one went unsaid~~.

Disgusting. Unpleasant. Boring. An itch crawled up her arm. It burned, she needed to scratch her arm now to relieve the pain. Boring. Unpleasant. Disgusting. Something boiled in her new flesh. Placing a hand on her chest, she felt the steady rhythm of her heart. Awful. Such a repetitive thing, it was all so anticlimactic. Human bodies are gross.

Who was she really trying to protect? _No, I must never go down the same path as my old driver_ , she chanted over and over again in her head. These thoughts need to be expelled. _Bonds only lead to strong emotions, whether that be the blooming feelings of love or the soul crushing premonitions of despair. I must remain emotionless, I must never show attachment, I must never reveal my feelings to anyone. I must show no interest in anything. Humans that die for making decisions based on their raw emotions were weak. That is the only way to survive._ Patroka needed to carve this mantra in to her existence. If she and Akhos were somehow able to escape this ship, she had to leave any last traces of her driver behind. To carry the weight of memories was a burden. She was free now, so why is she feeling like something is missing?

Wait, when did her body start rocking back and forth? When did her hands clutch the ends of her hair? How did she not notice her body moving on its own? She should have been able to control her body, but this was beyond her comprehension. Patroka saw herself from above, hovering over whoever was in this body. Her limbs felt numb, but there was an odd feeling, almost like someone tied strings to her limbs. Human bodies were similar to some blades’ body, yet this did not feel familiar at all.

“I don’t care anymore,” she whispered to no one. Hoping Akhos did not hear her, she whispered those words again. These words needed to become real. She must force them to become real in order to create a new self. Showing interest was deadly. Having shared bonds was a death sentence. Should she ever become attached to anything in the future, she prayed that she remained disinterested enough to avoid unnecessary threats.

This was the fate that she must bear. She must cut all ties related to her driver so that Akhos could keep his… or whatever he has. Her fingers untangled themselves from her hair, hands falling to the floor with a quiet thud (it sounded louder than a volff’s howl in that moment). The humming of the ship stilled. Footsteps outside of their cell door sounded disorganized, almost like there was some unexpected chaos that boarded the ship. She held her breath, waiting for their captors to waltz in any second. They must have arrived in Indol, that has to be why she can Tantal’s snow storms in her ears. It was somewhat reminiscent of the times her and her driver went hunting together. Wait, her driver? _Who…_ Patroka felt nothing at all at the mention of Tantal nor her driver, not even the slightest reaction. Not even the steady beating of her heart changed when she thought of her driver. It followed its own tempo, disinterested in the body it occupied and unaware of the dull reveries that clouded her mind.

 _Soon_ , the monotone voice echoed in her head, _soon will you become your ideal being and you will never be hurt again._ The creation of a new self was nearly complete, and she would be free from the past.

**Author's Note:**

> oops... everyone is probably ooc in this fic. especially patroka,,, she was hard to write, so she's def really out of character here. It doesn't help that we don't really see as much of her in the game compared to the rest of Torna. i probably didn't do them any justice here
> 
> i found this when i was trying to clean out the files on my computer (i gotta save some space for games i wanna download rip)


End file.
